New Releases: June 17, 2016

DIsney vs Warner Brothers, hmm, that sounds familiar.

1. Finding Dory (Disney, 4,305 Theaters, 97 Minutes, Rated PG for mild thematic elements, Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer at press time: 94 % Fresh [125 Reviews]): I’m not a big fan of the idea of Pixar sequels. I’d rather a brand new original film that a sequel to one of their hits. Yes, Toy Story keeps getting better with each installment. But Monsters University lacked a lot of the charm of Monsters, Inc. and the less said about the Cars franchise, the better.

So I have some reservations about this one. Finding Nemo was perfect just as it is. It didn’t need a sequel. But it got one anyway.

This time, it’s Dory who sets out on an adventure to find her long forgotten parents. Luckily she has Nemo and Marlin to help her on her quest.

The reviews are spectacular, but wouldn’t an original be just as good?

2. Central Intelligence (Warner Brothers, 3,508 Theaters, 114 Minutes, Rated PG-13 for crude and suggestive humor, some nudity, action violence and brief strong language, Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer at press time: 58 % Fresh [60 Reviews]): When Calvin (Kevin Hart) last saw Bob (Dwayne Johnson), he was a portly classmate who everybody picked on. Now Bob is a hulking pile of muscle who says he is with the CIA. But Calvin has a hard time believing him, even when Bob drags him into a case and the bullets start flying.

Johnson is a skilled comedian and Hart’s career is so hot he is an ubiquitous presence at the box office. So people should come out to see the film. Unless, of course, they are sick of buddie movies where a larger man drags him around like a rag doll.

William is cursed with the shared love of comic books and of films. Luckily, this is a great time for him to be alive. His writing has been featured on Broken Frontier.com, PopMatters.com and in Comics Foundry magazine.